Casey Jones
Frankie set a bag down by the couch and shook his head. "You gave her milk? You can't give milk to someone with a fever. It will curdle..." his eyes were wide with disbelief.
"Now you tell me." I shrugged as the mess on my shirt dripped onto my sweat pants.
"I've got this. Go take a shower." He stepped aside so I could get up. "You've made a right mess, haven't you?"
"Are you here to help or criticize?" I mumbled as I pushed past him towards the stairs.
"How high is her temperature?" He asked, causing me to stop at the bottom step.
"It said 102 so I gave her the Tylenol. I wrote it down in the little notebook Jane left in the box." I pointed at the box.
"Do you think she threw it up before she could absorb it?" He frowned at the messy footprints on the hardwood floor that I had left.
"It's liquid so I think it will be okay." I turned around to face him. "How do you know so much about kids?"
"I guess I picked up a few things along the way." He gave a sheepish grin as he waved me off. "I called Frost. I figured we could use reinforcements."
"I guess I'd better go get cleaned up. Um..." I paused and tried to give Isa a smile, whose face brightened up at the mention of Frost's arrival. "Her pj's are in the dresser. She wants the princess ones, right Izzy?"
"With castles..." Isa nodded in the affirmative.
"You okay with her?" I asked.
"Yeah, just let Frost in before you go upstairs."
With a nod, I moved towards the front door to open it. When I did, Frost stood on the porch and stared at me with a raised eyebrow. "Don't ask, but thanks for coming. Frankie's in the living room with the munchkin. I'm heading up to take a shower. You guy's know where everything is." I said as I stepped back to allow him to enter. Shutting the door, I headed towards the stairs, leaving the quiet murmur of conversation behind.
As I made my way up the stairs, my heart ached for Jane's presence and I wanted nothing more than to call her, but I knew that it would still be several hours before Jane would land in LA. So, with a heavy sigh, I resigned myself to fact that I would have to rely on the guys but at this point anything was better than nothing.
Grabbing a new set of sweat pants and a t-shirt, I headed towards the bathroom to get a proper shower. There was a chill in the early morning air, so when I turned the water on, steam filled the room and fogged the mirror up, so I couldn't see my reflection. For that I was glad because I knew I must look a freight after Isa threw up on me, twice. I pulled my clothes off and dropped them into a pile on the floor before I stepped into the steaming hot shower to wash away the sickness that stuck to me.
When I stepped under the stream of hot water, the muscles in my body finally relaxed and I let out a sigh of relief. Taking a deep breath, I let the eucalyptus scented soap clear my sinuses. I had always thought that Jane was silly for buying those essential oil concoctions she called soap but at the moment, I was grateful. Anything smelled better than the sour milk that had coated my clothes and hair. But my zen moment was interrupted by the sound of Isa crying and a loud knock on the bathroom door.
"Hey, Casey...Isa wants you." The panic in Frankie's voice was evident in the high pitch that carried to me over the sound of the shower.
Turning off the water, I stepped out of the shower dripping wet and grabbed a towel to wrap around myself so I could open the door. The sound of Isa's crying caused me to move faster, so when I opened the door, Frankie looked at me with a surprised expression. "Come'ere Iz..." I cooed as I opened my arms to receive the little girl.
"I want Mommy..." Isa cried as she buried her face against my neck.
"I know, me too." I sighed as I gave a nod to an anxious Frankie who was still standing in the doorway. "I got this..." I gave him a quick smirk before shutting the door.
"Mommy rubs my belly when I'm sick." Isa hiccupped as she tried to stop crying.
"Okay." I set Isa down on the sink counter. "Let me get dressed and we can lay down on the couch together and watch a movie."
"Toy Story?" Isa perked up when I nodded. "And can I have a popsicle?"
"We'll see about the popsicle." I leaned over and kissed Isa's forehead which didn't feel as hot as before. "But we can definitely watch Toy Story."
"Okay." Isa sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wait..."
I laughed as I opened the bathroom door to find the dirty sheets stripped from the bed and the room empty again. Riffling through the drawers in search of some clean sweats and a t-shirt, the thought of Jane crossed my mind again and I smiled.
"Why Mommy not home?" Isa called from the bathroom.
Shaking my head, I pulled my sweat pants on and then my t-shirt then headed back into the bathroom to answer Isa's questions that seemed to be endless lately. "Mommy had to go on a plane. Remember? She's in California, but she'll be home in a few days."
"How many days?" Isa asked.
With a smile, I held up three fingers and Isa mirrored me. "Three days."
"Three..." Isa held her fingers up and counted. "One, too, fee...that too long Dada." She shook her head as if she could somehow change it.
"I know Izzy. I know..." I picked her up and held her close. "How 'bout we find your princess jammies, so we can go watch Toy Story."
"Okay." Isa nodded. "Unca Frankie and Unca Frost gonna stay to watch too?"
"I think we can talk them into it." I said as I carried Isa to her bedroom to find the pajama's.
When Isa was in her favorite pajama's, I gathered a handful of extra's to take downstairs just in case. With Isa in my arms, I made my way downstairs to find Frost and Frankie lounging around the living room in their own sweats and I couldn't help but smile.
"What's up fella's?" I asked as I took my place on the couch, setting Isa down next to me.
"We figured we'd make ourselves comfortable." Frankie yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "Since you woke me up at the butt crack of dawn." He smirked.
"I second that." Frost laughed.
I leaned back into the couch, ""How about making some coffee so we can watch Toy Story."
"How 'bout I make some pancakes too?" Frost pushed himself up from the recliner.
"I'll help." Frankie chimed in as he jumped up from his seat. "What about the munchkin?" He asked as he ruffled Isa's hair.
"I want popsicles..." Isa said as she tried to duck away from Frankie's teasing.
"I don't think that will be a good idea." I sighed. At any other time I would allow it, but not today, not after the milk mishap. "Maybe a Mickey Mouse pancake. We can see how that works."
"I want a Minnie pancake." Isa perked up.
Frost and Frankie started to laugh but stopped when I gave them a withering glance. "Enough you two." I admonished as I pointed to the kitchen.
"I sleepy..." Isa said as she snuggled against my upper arm.
Reaching over, I brushed the girl's dark curls back from sleepy eyes, "Rest your eyes for a while." I said as I glanced at the clock to make note of the time. I could see that Isa's cheeks were starting to get rosy again and her forehead seemed warmer than before.
"You stay here with me." Isa grabbed one of my fingers and pulled my hand down to hug it.
"I will." I smiled as I gave Isa's stomach a gentle rub. "Does it still hurt?" I asked.
Isa nodded as she yawned. "A little..." she said with a heavy sigh. "I talk to mommy later?"
The question brought a smile to my face. "Absolutely. We'll facetime, okay?"
Isa nodded again before her eyes fluttered shut and her grip on my hand slackened. With a sigh of relief, I grabbed the blanket hanging over the back of the couch and covered Isa with it.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, allowing myself to surrender to the fatigue I had been fighting all morning.